Ain't Born Typical
by Ashley.X.Rose
Summary: What happens when Jensen accidently stumbles upon Clay's daughter? OC. Now Complete!
1. Story Of My Life

**I'm still unsure of this one, I need opinions on whether or not to continue with this story.**

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Shattered plates. Broken glass. Upturned furniture. Hinge-less doors.

The latest results of her step-fathers drunken rampage left Beth distressed as she stood in the doorway and assessed the damage to her house.

The door was beyond broken; she'd have to dispose of that before he woke up. The floor was in no condition to walk on barefoot, so she carefully tip-toed over the broken shards of glass until she reached the kitchen. The sight was all too familiar. The drawers and cupboards were open and empty, the contents of which were scattered all over the floorboards. Tears filled Beth's eyes. Ever since her Mum's death just under a year ago, Beth had been stuck living with the abusive man her mother had married.

Beth sighed as she pulled her long dark hair off her face. It was going to take a lot of strength to move the door, but luckily she'd had practice. She bagged up as much of the rubbish she could manage and chucked them in the back of her 89' Chevy truck before making her way back inside for the broken door. She used all of her strength to haul the door outside and when she reached her truck she rested the door against the trunk of it and crouched down, wiping the sweat from her forehead and catching her breath.

"You need a hand there, Miss?" Beth looked up to see a twenty-something tall, blonde geek approaching her. For a geek he wasn't at all bad to look at, but Beth knew better than to talk to 'outsiders'. The last time that had happened her step-father had gone crazy, threatening to kill her in cold blood. She stood up and got back to work, politely replying, "Thanks but I got it,"

"Are you sure?" he pressed, taking a step closer, "That door looks sorta heavy," Beth sighed, it was heavy. She glanced up at her step-father's bedroom window. It could be hours before he woke up and by then Beth could have the heavy stuff at the scrap yard and the guy could be gone.

"Sure, okay then," The geek smiled and Beth watched in shock as he lifted the door into the back of her truck without effort.

"You got a name?" Beth asked him.

"Jacob Jensen," he replied almost immediately with a polite smile, "call me Jensen though, everybody else does. You gonna need a hand un-loading these? 'Cos I got nothing else to do with my day. I should be working but my team said I could have the day off as they have no jobs for me, so it's no trouble," Beth smiled.

"Yeah that'd be great, thanks Jensen," said Beth. Jensen flashed her a pearly white smile and climbed into the passenger seat of her truck.

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**R&R :) Be honest.**


	2. She's A Mystery

**Thank you for the reviews saying I should carry on with the story :) Here is the next chapter. Enjoy...**

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"So what's your story?" Beth asked when they arrived at the junkyard. Jensen had started unloading the truck almost immediately, making sure to empty out the heaviest items first. Beth was quite impressed, he didn't appear to struggle one bit.

"Well, I used to be in the Military." Jensen began, "but then some shit happened, me & my team needed to lay low and now we just handle shit ourselves in our own way."

"Kinda like the A-team?" Beth asked, grabbing four or five bags from the back of her truck and following Jensen to a drop off point. She noticed him smirk.

"Yeah," he agreed, "Exactly like the A-team. You ever watch that show? I grew up watching it. My dad loved it, so did my sister. I remember how I wanted _so _bad to be Face. That guy was the coolest thing since Zippy, and I once hit a kid for slating Rainbow,"

"Yeah I watch it now and again," Beth said quietly. Beth didn't notice how much she seemed to shadow Jensen, but Jensen noticed. It was almost like she was ready to hide behind him in a second if anything bad happened. Jensen noticed these things, and he knew how to put facts together. The way Beth acted plus the stuff they were both unloading from the truck, Jensen guessed that her home life wasn't that great.

"So tell me to mind my own business," Jensen began, "but this is some odd stuff to be bringing to the dump? And if you don't mind me saying, you seem a little on edge. Is everything okay?" Beth ignored Jensen completely, grabbing the last bag of junk and tossing it on the nearest pile.

"Anywhere in particular you need dropping off?" The tone in Beth's voice told Jensen that something was distressing the young girl, but he wasn't going to push on the subject.

"Town centre'll be fine. You need a hand with anything else?" Beth shook her head and began driving back towards the town centre.

Beth pulled up outside a bar in the city centre and cut off the ignition. Jensen had watched her for most of the drive home. She was a very careful driver, then again, compared to Pooch _everyone _was a careful driver. She was also very alert. She noticed everything, her bright blue eyes seem to catch every little detail of every little thing.

"Is here okay, I can drop you off somewhere else if you want?" she offered with a small smile.

"Here's good. I can get my guys to meet me here. They shouldn't be too much longer, I hope," Jensen's eyes met Beth's. She was trying so hard to smile as she nodded her head in acknowledgment.

"Can I buy you a coffee while I wait?" Jensen offered, making Beth's smile a little more real. "I feel like an idiot sitting in places like this on my own," Beth nodded her head.

"Sure, thanks," replied Beth. Jensen smiled.

They decided on a table by the window. Jensen ordered a strong black coffee, Beth decided on the same but helped herself to a handful of sugar sachets.

"So are you in town for long?" Beth asked, seeming much more relaxed than she had been on the drive back.

"Couple more days maybe. Depends how long the job takes," replied Jensen after taking a huge sip of coffee.

"So can you tell me about this super interesting job that you're not needed for?"

"I could, but then I'd have to kill you," laughed Jensen, Beth laughed with him.

"What time are your guys coming to meet you?" asked Beth after finishing her coffee in one large gulp. Jensen had never met anyone who could drink strong coffee quite like he could.

"Should be here any… hey, speak of the devils," Jensen pointed towards the door as two men entered. One quite short, and the other a little taller. Neither taller than Jensen. The shorter one looked relaxed, whereas the taller one seemed tense. They approached the table but didn't sit.

"Beth, this is Cougar and Pooch," Jensen introduced. Pooch, the shorter one, removed his sunglasses and shook Beth's hand immediately.

"Sup," he said, taking a seat at the table. Cougar, the taller one did not move as easily. His eyes were locked on Beth, almost as if he didn't know if he could trust her. He made Beth feel a little uneasy, so much so that she stood up to leave.

"Thanks for your help today, Jensen," she said, pulling him into a tight hug, "See you around sometime?" Jensen nodded his head.

"Not a problem, thanks for the company," replied Jensen. Beth smiled and turned to leave.

"Nice to meet you guys," she called to Pooch and Cougar, offering a small wave as she walked out of the door. Cougar did not take his eyes off her until she was completely out of sight.

"Something wrong, Cougs?" asked Jensen as Cougar finally took a seat beside Pooch. Cougar shook his head.

"The girl looked familiar, is all." Cougar replied. "Her eyes were the brightest blue I've ever seen, and I swear I've seen them somewhere before,"

"Dude, I'm sure there's hundreds of girls with eyes that bright. Now get your ass to the bar and get me a drink. It's your round," said Pooch with a smirk as he polished his sunglasses with his t-shirt. Cougar stood and made his way over to the bar.

"Where's Clay and Aisha?" enquired Jensen as he finally noticed the absence of their boss and his lippy sidekick.

"Dropping all the shit off at the hotel, said they wouldn't be long," Pooch replied. Cougar returned to the table with three pints.

"So I'm guessing everything went to plan, seen as none of you are dead," said Jensen. He took a sip of his pint and wiped away the froth that got caught on his upper lip.

"Yeah," smiled Pooch, "In and out job. Just gotta replace the files tomorrow and then we're out of here," Cougar sat in silence and nodded along with everything Pooch was saying.

"Will I be needed?" Jensen asked, secretly hoping they would say no so he could check on Beth.

"I dunno Dude, ask Clay," suggested Pooch as he pointed towards the bar entrance. Jensen turned and waved at his boss as he entered with Aisha.

"Clay, Jensen wants to know if he's needed tomorrow?" Pooch said immediately as Clay and Aisha took seats at the table.

"I doubt it, no tech work required" was Clay's response, "You think you can keep yourself out of trouble for one more day?" The question directed at Jensen.

"Yeah sure," Jensen smiled as he took another swig of his beer. He was definitely going to see Beth tomorrow.

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**R&R. Hope you guys are enjoying the story.**


	3. Superman Tonight

**Sorry this chapters a bit shorter, hopefully the next will be up later this evening.**

**Warning - This chapter contains strong language.**

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Jensen woke up quite early the next day; well, early for Jensen. Everybody else had already left so he took a quick shower, slipped into some clean clothes and left the hotel room. He stopped at a sandwich shop for some food before making his way to Beth's house. The town wasn't too big, so he found it with ease and it took him less than an hour to get there. He approached the house and gave three gentle knocks before taking a step back and waiting for someone to answer. Around ten seconds passed before he heard footsteps, followed by Beth's voice.

"I got it!" The door swung open. Beth stood before Jensen but didn't look at him.

"Look, whatever it is you're selling we're not … Jensen?" Beth looked up when she realised who it was, causing Jensen to gasp and take a step closer to the young girl when he got a proper look at her. Beth's eyes were red, she had obviously been crying. Her face was filthy, it looked as though she had been wearing make-up which had smudged to the extreme. These things, Jensen could handle. But not the bruises.

Her right eye was swollen, deep purple in colour which spread all the way down to her cheekbone. There was also a thin cut on her chin which was surrounded by another bruise, this one a little lighter.

"What are you doing here?" Beth asked. It was impossible for Jensen to miss that she was shaking.

"Who did this to you?" he demanded, gently. He pulled Beth a little closer to him to get a closer look.

"You can't be here, Jensen. Not now!" Beth almost shouted.

"Who is it, Beth!" came a gruff voice from the back room. Beth started to panic when she heard movement.

"Jensen you have to get out of here," Beth tried to push Jensen but he wasn't going anywhere. "It's no one, Charlie!" Beth called towards the back room.

"No way, I'm not leaving you like this," exclaimed Jensen. Beth turned and her eyes widened in fear as her step-father came in to view. He was easily twice the size of Jensen, the tech looked like a child in comparison to him.

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked. Jensen didn't seem to take his size into consideration, he just noticed the redness of his knuckles an immediately saw red. He grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her behind him, taking a protective stance between Beth and her step-father.

"Get the fuck away from that girl, and get the fuck off my property," Charlie's voice was quite, but threatening. Jensen didn't move.

"She's coming with me. Don't make me kick your ass, I may not look like much but I know Kung Fu. I'm just saying," A snarl came from Charlie as Jensen spoke. Beth tried to tug at his shirt but Jensen didn't budge. He was able to dodge the first punch that was thrown at him, but Jensen was too pre-occupied with pushing Beth out of the line of fire, that the second got in square in the nose. He fell to the floor, clutching his face.

"Jensen!" Beth called out. She ran over to him and tried to push Charlie away as he went in to do more damage. Charlie pushed Beth to the ground with ease.

"Charlie! Just leave it, please!" begged Beth, "I'll drive him back into town, okay? I'll make sure he never comes back, just please don't hurt him anymore!" Charlie backed away from Jensen and walked over to Beth. He tugged her to her feet by the scruff of her neck.

"Make sure he knows that if I ever see him again, I'll kill him," warned Charlie, "You and me will discuss this later," And with that he pushed her back to the ground, pulled out and lit up a cigarette before making his way back inside and slamming the door. Beth scrambled to her feet and ran over to Jensen, pulling him gently into a sitting position by his shoulder.

"Bastard," mumbled Jensen, "Did he break my nose?" Jensen moved his hands for Beth to take a look. She winced at the sight. Definitely broken, pouring with blood.

"You got any ice wherever you're staying?" Beth asked as her and Jensen stood. He nodded his head slowly. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and opened the passenger side door for Jensen to climb in. She noticed Jensen's room key sticking out of his pocket, and used this as confirmation of where he was staying and set off.

"Wasn't much of a rescue, huh?" Jensen huffed, still wiping the blood away from his nose with his sleeve. Beth gave a half-hearted smile.

"It's more than anyone else has ever done. And that's good enough for me,"

"Just so you know, I could have totally had him. He just caught me off guard. I'm a Kung Fu champion, I guess I need some proper breakfast before defeating evil. I had a sausage and egg sandwich on white bread. The white bread probably wasn't a wise move, should have gone with brown. It's better for you. Are you okay by the way? It doesn't seem fair that you have to drive me. I'm doing the rescuing so technically I should be driving the getaway car," A text message distracted Jensen enough for him to take a breath. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to take a look.

"Anything important?" asked Beth, still smiling from Jensen's speech-rant.

"Cougs is back at the hotel. He'll be able to fix my nose," The thought of the Spaniard made Beth shudder, she hoped her didn't stare at her so much this time.

When they arrived at the hotel, Beth didn't turn of the ignition. Jensen stumbled round to the driver side and opened her door.

"I can't come with you, Jensen," she said, softly, "He'll go mad if I'm gone for too long." Jensen took her hand and gently nudged her out of the car.

"You're not going back there, okay. You wait 'til you meet my boss. I bet he's owed loads of favours. He'll help you out. Okay?" Beth still looked unsure.

"I'll make you coffee?" Jensen offered. The gesture made Beth smile and convinced her. She climbed out of her car and locked it, following Jensen up to his room.

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**R&R as always. Hope you're enjoying the story :)**

**Give me some nice reviews to let me know what you think.**


	4. Homebound Train

**This is probably going to be the shortest chapter of them all, but I had no other way to end it. I have a day off work tomorrow so I'm aiming for another two or three chapters. Hope you guys like this one. **

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Cougar had sat Jensen down and started working on him the second he saw the blood. Beth sat quietly on a chair in the corner, totally oblivious to what was going on around her until the click of Jensen's nose being put back in place made her wince. Cougar threw her a few looks of sympathy as he worked.

"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" Jensen asked Beth as Cougar wiped away the last of his blood. Beth shook her head. Jensen stood and made his way over to Beth as Cougar started cleaning up his supplies.

"You hungry? Tired? I can go out and get some food if you want. The rest of the guys won't be too long." Beth rubbed her eyes and shook her head again. There was a distant sound of running water, when the tap cut off Cougar entered with a glass of water and handed it to Beth along with some painkillers.

"Take these," he offered, "It'll take the pain away from your eye,"

"Thanks,"

"De nada," Beth swallowed the painkillers and leant on Jensen's shoulder.

"Lay down if you want," Jensen offered. The hotel door opened. "That'll be the rest of the guys. Wait here while I go and explain the situation, okay?" Beth nodded her head and Jensen left, followed by Cougar.

Clay tossed his keys and his wallet on the table beside the door and patted Pooch on the shoulder as he walked in after him, shortly followed by Aisha. Jensen noticed they were all smiling, that meant the job had gone well. Good. Aisha was the first one to notice the redness of Jensen's nose.

"What happened, Petunia?" she asked in a teasing tone, "Get punched or something?" When Jensen didn't come back with a sarcastic remark, he caught Clay's attention.

"Jensen! What the hell happened!" Clay strolled over to Jensen and cupped the younger mans head in his hands. "Who did this?"

"It's a long story actually, which is going to lead to me needing a favour," Jensen answered nervously, pulling off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. He was doubting more every second that Clay would feel the need to help this girl.

"How much?" Aisha asked immediately.

"How much what?" Jensen replied, confused.

"How much money did you lose and now need to pay back?" Pooch answered for Aisha. Jensen wasn't surprised, he knew that's what they were all thinking. Cougar stood a few steps away from the door to the room Beth was in. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed with an amused look on his face.

"I didn't lose any money," said Jensen, defensively. "Clay, there's this girl from around here, okay? Her name is Beth and she needs our help," Clay froze. He looked like someone had just appeared behind Jensen and was holding a gun. Jensen peeked over his shoulder just to make sure, only Cougar still stood behind him.

"What does she look like?" muttered Clay as he started pacing. And then Cougar clicked. He was across to the door within seconds. He grabbed Clay's wallet, opened it to a picture and held it up for Clay to see.

"Like this," Cougar said, "This is her," Clay grabbed his wallet of Cougar and stroked the picture in question with his index finger.

"Beth?" asked Clay, "Where is she," Jensen pointed towards his bedroom and Clay was in there in a shot.

"Told you," Cougar said to Pooch, "I'd recognise those eyes anywhere."

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**R&R, sorry again for the shortness of the chapter. Hope you guys are enjoying the story.**

**Let me know what you think x**


	5. Welcome To Wherever You Are

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter for you now just in case I can't post much tomorrow as I may be off out visiting family.**

**As usual, enjoy...**

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Beth was sat in complete silence. She had closed the door once Jensen had left as a safety measure. She felt a lot safer with a closed door in between herself and this 'boss' of Jensen's that she'd never even met. Beth felt quite nervous when she heard Jensen start talking, her fingers tapping at record speed on the bedside table.

"What does she look like?" Beth heard a raised, familiar voice say through the walls. She stood up, instinctively backing up against the nearest wall. It couldn't be? Could it? The bedroom door swung open and there he stood. Beth had to take a double look to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, and they weren't. He hadn't changed one bit. The rugged stubble, the expensive suits with the top few buttons undone and a gun tucked securely into his waistband.

"Daddy?" gasped Beth, barely even a whisper. She still couldn't believe her eyes, and neither could Clay. Tears filled Beth's eyes. She felt the weight disappear beneath her as she fell to her knees. Clay was across the room in an instant, catching her in his arms and pulling her close to his chest as she let the tears fall.

"Dad! I thought you died, Daddy. Please don't leave me, don't leave me again! I need you so bad, please Daddy, please!" Beth's begging broke Clay's heart. It had been over two years since Clay had last seen his daughter and it was obvious to see how much her mothers death had changed her.

"Shh," he soothed, gently running his fingers through his daughters hair, "I'm here, baby. I got you," Clay turned his head slightly to see the rest of his team crowded at the door.

"Get out of here for an hour or so," His voice was soft, but coming from Clay that was clearly an order. All complied except for Aisha who took a step closer.

"Aisha," the warning in Clay's voice was obvious.

"I'm going," she explained immediately, "I just wanted to know if you guys needed anything?" Clay shook his head and Aisha left feeling saddened at the sight of the broken girl in Clay's arms.

...

It took about fifteen minutes of comforting from Clay before Beth was in any state to talk. Clay had carefully picked her up and moved her on to the bed, propping a pillow behind her head and his arm around her shoulder.

"What happened to you eye, baby? And your chin?" Clay asked as he wiped the tears from his daughters eyes. He knew that these injuries were no accident, and whoever caused them were as good as dead.

"It's a long story, but if I tell you then you have to promise me you'll never send me back there," As she spoke, Beth grabbed a fistful of Clay's shirt and dug her head into his chest. This sent a dagger right through him, no one was ever meant to make his daughter feel like this.

"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you again, Bethie. Okay?" promised Clay as he soothingly rubbed his hand up and down her back. "Now tell me who did it,"

"Charlie," The name made Clay's blood run cold. His fists clenched and he was finding it increasingly more difficult to keep calm.

"How long?" Clay snarled through gritted teeth, "How long has this been going on?" Beth sat upright and turned to face Clay, bracing herself for his reaction.

"Since Mom died," That was all it took. Clay was on his feet in an instant, no longer able to contain his anger and frustration.

"That Son of a Bitch!" shouted Clay, pounding his fist in to the wall. "Stupid, fucking, bastard SON OF A BITCH!" Clay was almost in tears by the time his rant was over. Beth stood up and walked slowly over to her father, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Daddy?" she whispered, softly. "Are you okay?" Clay turned and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"Yeah, I'm good," he answered, "I gotta make some calls. You're with us now Beth, if that's what you want?" Beth nodded her head immediately.

"Now hold up a minute, little lady. Our lives aren't exactly peach pie, you get a trial period. If, after that trial period, being with us is too much then I will do anything I can to work something out, okay? I will be happy with whatever choice you make,"

"I'm not losing you again Dad, I've missed you too much for that," declared Beth, pulling herself out of the hug and helping herself to another glass of water.

"Hey," called Clay, following Beth and gently grabbing her wrist, turning her to face him. "No matter what happens there is no way you're losing me. I'm here, Beth, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise," Beth nodded her head, she believed him.

...

"Seriously?" Aisha laughed, "One punch was all it took to break your nose. Unbelievable!" Jensen just sat there and shook his head. Pooch found the story amusing also, but Cougar didn't. He had seen the state of Beth and Jensen when they arrived back at the hotel room, and it was nothing to laugh about.

"This is why you always get a babysitter, Jensen," Pooch pointed out.

"Yeah I guess you're right," agreed Jensen, "I can't even rescue the girl without getting hit in the face. I got issues man. I'm definitely the Peter Parker of superhero's. I just need practise. One day I'll be able to kick some ass. Just wait. You'll see," Jensen's speech had bought out the smirks on everyone's faces. Even Cougar's.

"So you think we'll have a new addition to our dysfunctional little family?" asked Aisha. The thought of having another girl around made her smile.

"I hope so," said Cougar, "I doubt Clay would send her back to that monster."

...

By the time Pooch, Cougar, Jensen and Aisha arrived back at the hotel, Beth was fast asleep in Jensen's bed wearing one of Clay's t-shirts and Clay was sitting on the sofa. His weapons were laid out in front of him as he cleaned them and loaded them one by one. Aisha, Cougar and Pooch said their goodnights and retired to their bedrooms. Jensen took a seat next to Clay, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers gently massaging his neck.

"Crazy day, huh boss?" said Jensen, handing Clay each weapon for him to load.

"The day's not over yet, kid." Clay spoke as he worked, "You'll be okay on the couch, right?"

"Yeah sure," Jensen answered honestly.

"Thanks, I need you to stay up until I get back. Keep an eye on Beth for me. Can you do that?" Clay stood, shoving a pistol in his waistband and a knife in his boot.

"Course I can boss man. Where you going?"

"Back to Beth's. Need to pick up some of her stuff and have a little catch up with my old friend Charlie. Don't worry, I won't be long." And with that Clay grabbed his jacket and left the hotel room, closing the door gently behind him.

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**R&R, I love to hear what you guys think.**


	6. Happy Now

**A short but _very _sweet chapter.**

**Next one will be uploaded in a couple of hours if I get a few nice new reviews.**

**Also a very special thank you to Jensen's Petunia for your on-going support :)**

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Jensen was tired. So tired that he did not even have the energy to flick through the TV channels to find something decent to watch. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep, but he couldn't. Clay had asked him to keep and eye on Beth, and that's what he was going to do. Beth had not woken up since Clay left, but when and if she did, Jensen would be there.

"Sleep," came a spanish voice from behind Jensen. The tech turned just in time to see Cougar toss a blanket on to him.

"I can't man," The tiredness showed even more in Jensen's croaky voice. "I have to keep an eye on Beth. Colonel's orders,"

"She's asleep, Amigo," Cougar pointed out, pushing Jensen's shoulders so he would lie down. "If she wakes up then I will make sure she's okay, sí?" Jensen pulled the face that Cougar knew as his 'thinking expression' before nodding his head.

"Thanks man," Jensen mumbled as he rolled over on to his side, covered himself with the blanket and fell into a peaceful slumber. Cougar slumped down in the armchair next to him and started cleaning his rifle.

...

Millions of thoughts were circling Beth's mind. Fear was the most dominant. She hadn't fallen asleep, she just knew that her father would not do anything for himself until he knew she was peaceful. She had just pretended to be asleep and now she was regretting it. Her father was going to Charlie's. What was going to happen? When was he going to be back? She wasn't quite sure if she wanted an answer to the first question, but she definitely wanted an answer to the second. She shifted in the bed to try and find a more comfortable position and when all possible positions failed she sat up and flicked the light on. Feeling a bit warm, she quietly climbed out of bed and opened the window. The street below was quiet, so she flopped back down on the bed and tried to fall asleep. She was soon interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.

"Beth?" Cougar's soft spanish accent whispered, "Are you okay?" Beth sat up and rubbed her eyes, wincing when she went over her forgotten bruise.

"Yeah Cougar, I'm okay," she replied, softly. "You can come in if you want." He gently pushed the door open and walked in, sitting beside Beth on the end of the bed. He noticed that she was looking at him, most likely waiting for him to say something, but he couldn't look at her. She reminded him so much of his sister, and the fact that she was this hurt was just wrong.

"You know I noticed you staring at me yesterday," Beth pointed out, looking away from Cougar just as he looked at her, "But now you won't look at me at all. Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not," Cougar answered truthfully, "Yesterday when I met you, I recognised you from a picture in your father's wallet but I couldn't place you until earlier tonight. Now when I look at you I can't help but feel angry." Beth noticed the sadness in Cougar's eyes. She didn't like it.

"Why do you feel angry?" Beth turned her body to face Cougar.

"I just don't understand how someone could hurt you like this. It's not right," Cougar's eyes met Beth's.

"The world's a fucked up place, dude. I just feel guilty that the only way to stop it happening again is invading you guys. You shouldn't have to put up with a burden like me."

"Don't say that," said Cougar, putting an arm over Beth's shoulder as he saw the tears appear in her eyes. "You are not a burden. We're a family, we keep each other safe and we always look out for each other. You are part of this family now, okay?"

"Okay," Beth agreed, pulling Cougar into a hug and smiling properly for the first time that day.

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**R&R and the next chaper will be up VERY soon ;)**


	7. Last Man Standing

**This is my favourite chapter from the story, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Write me a review and let me know what you think.**

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Clay took extra care to be quiet when he opened the hotel room door. His hands still felt a little sore but he didn't care, it was worth it. Jensen was the first person Clay spotted after tossing his keys and wallet on the table by the door. He was sprawled out across the sofa looking like he'd just been dropped from a helicopter. There was no sign of anyone else so Clay figured everyone was still in bed. He tossed his jacket on the back of a chair and placed a bag full of Beth's stuff on the chair. When he walked into the room to check on Beth, he was surprised to see Cougar. Beth was fast asleep. She slept a lot like Jensen with the way she was outstretched across most of the bed, but at least she looked peaceful which was enough for Clay. Cougar sat in a chair not too far from the door, his hat covering his face and his crossed ankles resting on the edge of the bed. Clay could hear a light snore coming from Cougar, so he turned the light off and closed the door.

"You coming to bed tonight?" Aisha asked, standing at her bedroom door in nothing but her underwear. Clay turned to face her and shook his head.

"Not tonight, Aisha." Clay answered abruptly.

"But Clay…," began Aisha, moving towards Clay and putting her hands on his shoulders. He pushed her away instantly.

"I'm not doing this tonight, Aisha. I'm sure one of your other booty calls are available. Just try not to keep me up. It's been a long day,"

"Whatever," she mumbled, storming back into her room and slamming the door. Clay simply shook his head and got comfy on the armchair. It did not take him long to get comfortable. After all, it had been a long day.

...

Beth was the first to wake up the next morning. She looked over at the clock. It read 7:28am. She groaned in disgust at the earliness, and at the fact she felt wide awake made her groan even more. The groans were enough to make Cougar stir, although Beth had her suspicions that he was never actually asleep.

"What time is it?" Cougar mumbled as he sat up, pulling his hat from over his eyes on to his head. Beth sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Nearly half seven," Beth grumbled in reply. Cougar nodded in acknowledgement, and then stood and left the room in silence. Beth climbed out of bed and looked at herself in the tiny mirror that hung on the wall. The swelling on her eye had reduced considerably, only a light brown bruise remained which was barely noticeable. The cut on her chin still looked pretty nasty, but the bruising had gone and the cut didn't look infected which made Beth feel a little better.

"You look beautiful. Stop worrying," Clay's voice startled Beth a little, but it bought a smile to her face when she turned to look at her father and noticed that his visit to Charlie had not earned him any injuries. Clay took the smile as a 'come on in' so he entered and tossed a bag on the bed.

"I went and picked up some of your things, if I forgot anything we can just get you new stuff. It won't be a problem." Beth glanced down at her father's hands as he spoke and detected the redness of his knuckles. Clay noticed her gaze and quickly shoved his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Thanks Dad," smiled Beth.

"No problem," Clay smiled back, "Now hurry up and get dressed we're going out for breakfast," And with that Clay walked out and closed the door behind him. Beth opened the bag and pulled out a skinny fit pair of jeans, a purple vest top and her black uggs. After she was dressed she picked up her clothes from the previous day and chucked them in the bag, pausing when she heard the clink of metal in her trouser pocket.

"Dad!" she called after realising what it was she heard. Beth heard Clay's footsteps approach and then the door opening.

"Everything okay?" he asked, peering his head around the door.

"I think these belong to you," Clay took a step in to the room just as Beth tossed a chain at him. He caught it flawlessly, locking his fingers around it with ease. Seeing what it was brought happiness and sadness to him at the same time.

"I got sent them after… well, you know," Beth said softly, "I just thought you might want them back," Beth zipped up her bag and walked past Clay into the main room. Clay placed his Army Tags in his shirt pocket before following.

Jensen, Pooch, Cougar and Aisha were all in the main room packing up the last of there things when Clay and Beth entered.

"Ok Losers," called Clay to gather everybody's attention. "We got another job offer in California, so the first thing we're gonna do is head over there and find a place to stay. Our client will be in touch when we arrive so that's when we start the background and job checks. I'm not gonna go into detail. You guys know the drill." Beth was looking from person to person as her father was talking. Cougar was sat on the arm of the sofa paying close attention to everything Clay was saying and nodding in acknowledgement when necessary. Jensen was stood close to the door, he looked like he was listening but he was fidgeting around a lot as well; he seemed restless. Pooch was half listening, half packing up the last of his stuff. Unless the others had a lot more stuff in their car, Pooch definitely had the most belongings. Aisha was silent, she hadn't looked at Clay once. Her eye's were cold, she looked pissed but Beth had no idea why. Aisha had seemed so warm and friendly the day before. Her behaviour at present made Beth a little wary of her.

"Alright, let's go," were Clay's last words which instructed everyone to gather their crap and head for the door. Clay left first, followed by Beth, Jensen, Aisha, Pooch and finally Cougar who closed and locked the door.

"Dad can I have some money to grab a drink before we go?" Beth asked as they made their way downstairs to the lobby.

"Sure," answered Clay, patting at his jacket trying to locate his wallet. "Shit," he mumbled to himself, "Hey Cougar!" he called to the sniper, "Quickly run back to the room, will ya, I left my wallet and keys on the table by the door." Cougar nodded, handed his bag to Pooch and turned back towards the room.

"Good thing you were thirsty Beth," smiled Clay as they exited the hotel. Clay pointed Beth in the direction of their van and stayed to hold the door open for the rest of his team. Everyone offered thanks apart from Aisha who just huffed.

"Still volatile," Clay muttered under his breath as he closed the door and made his way over to help load the van while they waited for Cougar.

"What about my truck, Dad?" asked Beth, only just remembering about her beloved Chevy.

"You won't need it Beth, go grab anything you need and just leave it," Beth frowned at her father's response. Just leave it? Surely she could sell it? The money could come in handy. She decided not to argue, the Chevy may have been her first car but other than that it held no sentimental value so she made her way over to it and started gathering up her things.

...

Clay finished loading the rest of the team's belongings and closed up the back of the van. He turned around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything and found himself staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.

"You're not taking that little bitch anywhere," snarled Charlie, his fingers tightly grasping his gun, "Put your hands where I can see 'em." Clay rolled his eyes but raised his hands so Charlie could see them. Charlie's face was battered and bruised. Clay couldn't help but smile at his handiwork.

"Put the gun down, man. You don't wanna shoot anybody." Came Pooch's voice from behind Charlie. Clay turned to see that Pooch had taken a step forward, his gun aimed at Charlie. Aisha wasn't far away, Clay knew that her gun would be in her waistband but she wasn't foolish enough to make any sudden movements in a situation like this. Beth was the furthest away, the look of terror in her eyes made Clay want to cry. Jensen was positioned in front of her, ready to attack anyone who came near her. Clay knew she was safe.

"You're not gonna shoot me," stated Clay, "You don't have the bollocks." Clay's smirk make Charlie turn red with annoyance. His finger closed in on the trigger.

The sound of a gunshot made Beth scream, and nuzzle into Jensen's back.

_Please god no! _

* * *

**This is the end of this story. Thank you everyone for reading and keep your eyes peeled for the sequal.**

**Thank you all for reading.**

**Ash. x**


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